THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE.
I am a third year law student with an extensive IT background thoroughly enjoying the study of this area of the law. My goal is to discuss this rapidly changing law and its effects on business and litigation. Upon graduation I wish to practice in this exciting, growing, changing area of law!
I want my information technology background to join forces with my law degree to become a highly effective, modern counsel. Who better to explain to a judge or client how the law applies to a situation than someone who can follow the information every step of the way!
Let’s face it; the bottom line is always the bottom line! What will cost less? That is why this practice is growing as fast as the information it governs. It can save thousands and sometimes millions! Typical counsel may not even know where to begin when reviewing or submitting this amount of information. We need lawyers who are not afraid of electronic discovery and speak “geek”! We need counsel who are knowledgeable enough of the process to recognize unreasonable request and “object”. On the flip side, we need counsel knowledgeable enough to recognize parties that have not governed their information according to law and expose those vulnerabilities!
Discovery no longer only includes file cabinets and banker boxes! Think of where you store information: blackberry, iphone, laptop, voice mail, usb drives, servers, and commercial web pages like this one! Even if you could print off all the potentially relevant information it likely would not fit in your office, maybe not your building. Not to mention the massive amounts of duplication. I want to devote this blog to discuss the following question: How can businesses and their attorneys prepare for this journey? That’s right, prepare! The BEST way to deal with this enormous issue is to start way before litigation.
Businesses need to know how to protect themselves. Who wants to settle a law suit just because the discovery bill would be too high? It is the organized, sophisticated, prepared business that will be able to deal with discovery request easily but most importantly, efficiently!
But, what if the business is not prepared and is hit with a complicated e-discovery request? This is dangerous, but with the use of an attorney knowledgeable in both IT and law the cost may be greatly decreased! Someone who understands the process and can find the requested materials without giving up unnecessary privileged information is priceless. Undoubtedly the process will be far more expensive for a business that is not prepared; the use of the right e-counsel will still decrease cost.
Let’s start on this adventure! I will write about exciting things that I am researching and you read and respond if you like. And if no one reads, I still gain the advantage of placing “hard to deal with” legal concepts in my own words.
THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE.
